On behalf of the entire team here at ++Good Games, we apologize for the way the Destiny reviews have been handled in by the gaming press this week.

Destiny walked into its own personal firestorm in the wake of the “#Gamergate” controversy which had put the ethics of video game journalism under a magnifying glass. Bungie’s title was the first major release since the “games journalism boil” ruptured and it appears in an attempt to secure the mindshare of gamers out there, Destiny was dragged across the coals for no other reason (from our perspective) other than a distraction from the news of what goes on behind the curtain.

DO NOT AROUSE THE WRATH OF THE GREAT AND POWERFUL NEWS OUTLETS!

For almost a full week, the team (and many of our audience) at ++Good Games has been happily playing the game online and remote playing through their PlayStation Vita. This past weekend, we logged on to many of the news aggregate sites to see what others were saying about the game and were absolutely shell-shocked by what we saw in the scores. Reviews seemed to waiver in the 5 to 7 range and lambasted Destiny’s experience for being “hollow” and “derivative”. Not once in the 20 hours of online play this week had I heard someone online talking about these reviews so the vitriol and animosity held within them hit us like a thunderbolt.

Destiny reviewers: you did realize there was both an Alpha and Beta released for this game, right? Did you have any time to test those out prior to play testing the final build of the game for 2 hours?

Were we missing something? Have these people been playing the same game? Could I be so used to disappointment in games that I’m accepting the mediocre and touting it as exemplary? Well, no, I’m not and neither are the tens of people I’ve played with online this week that have shared strikes, victory danced or simply resurrected my sorry ass 1000 or more times in any given level. Everyone I’ve talked to online are having a blast playing Destiny and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.

The reason I’m writing this apology letter is that I feel both Bungie and Destiny are getting shafted this week and there’s no reason for it. Looking at some of these reviews you’ll see that they have nothing but positive things to say about the gameplay but skin their talking points around a ‘flawed exposition’.

“[Destiny] did keep its hooks into me for hours upon hours at a time, so it’s certainly doing something right”

– The Escapist

“Few games have managed to make the act of pulling up iron sights, tracking an enemy, and landing the fatal headshot so natural or rewarding on a controller. Each weapon type has its own personality and weight that just feels, for lack of a less mystical term, right. It’s clear that Bungie’s “30 seconds of fun” design philosophy is still alive and well, if by nothing else than the frankly obsessive amount of tuning and polish that appears to have gone into the simple act of firing a bullet.”

– EGMNOW

Destiny’s basic mechanics and controls — movement, jumping, shooting, and melee combat — are sound. In fact, Destiny might have the most fun melee attack I’ve played in a shooter in farther-back-than-recent memory. The act of firing and aiming while navigating environments is fine, and it could be the basis for a great shooter.

– Polygon

Each review comes off the same with writers, bloggers and opinioneers™* all lauding the gameplay but faulting the overall game experience on story constructs alone. To that point, I will say that I have paid VERY little attention to the story and it’s entirely possibly it comes off as extremely amorphic and obtuse, but we could easily say the same of games like WoW, Diablo or Final Fantasy XIV (and several other games we love). For myself, the storyline is a vehicle for getting you into different locations and locales and I’ve personally loved little gems that make the experience so much more seamless and enjoyable such as being able to upgrade my character as a cutscene plays out over my headphones in the background.

Game Review: “I can grasp the actual amount of energy and overall gravitational impact required to have an object of this size hovering over a city, but the dialogue between the characters BLLOOOOOOOWWWSSSSSS!”

There are some that are opting to look at this game negatively and that is entirely their right. We’ve had our fare share of this trumpeting during the launch of the XboxOne and PS4 consoles and the recent #GamerGate conspiracies but there are tens of thousands of us that aren’t letting these sounding boards define our view of this game. I wanted Bungie to know that there are people out here fully enjoying the experience and screaming, laughing and sharing an experience that will transcend these first reviews.

In closing, we wanted to share a quote from legendary author (and little known game reviewer), Mark Twain, who accurately captures our experience with Destiny.

“It’s lovely to live [in the world of Destiny**]. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened.”

– Mark Twain

**This quote comes from “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and the words “on the raft” have been substituted for [in the world of Destiny]. Like any great writer, Mark Twain will not be providing his full review until he’s had ample playtime with the title.

*opinioneers™ is a term used behind the scenes at ++Good Games and refers to those who are so fervently passionate about their opinion on games being the correct one that they’ll infiltrate forums, comments and conversations to insert their $.02 (or $.25) into whatever social media coin slot they can find.

File this under “Unbelievably Big News” but this week DonateGames, Bauer Graphics and ++Good Games all came together on this IndieGogo campaign with Mr. Will Ferrell to raise funds for pediatric cancer patients, survivors and families.

“Will Ferrell is staking his claim on the gaming world, for a cause. After successfully proving his world dominance in activities ranging from drum battles to anchoring the news, he is now issuing a challenge to video gamers far and wide, to raise money for non-profit organizations Cancer for College and DonateGames on Indiegogo.”

Bauer Graphics has been working alongside DonateGames.org to get many of the elements ready for this promo including the Donate Games website and some collateral items. Double Plus Good Games was called upon to craft some of the wording, engagement and outreach programs to help get this project ready for prime time (and crowdfunded).

People can find out more information and fund the Indiegogo campaign here. Should the target amount of $375,000 be raised, Ferrell will play with a lucky gamer at Twitch TV’s offices in San Francisco, and ++Good Games will be in Twitch-tendance. We’ll bring the people, places and games together, all we ask that you put your quarters up and make a donation in support of children and families suffering from cancer.

I’m going to say at the start of this review that I had noooooo idea what to expect when I was handed a copy of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc earlier this year. Our resident NIS expert, James Bacon (of Your Daily Bacon Fame), passed along some information through after his interview with Phoenix Spaulding but, outside of the words ‘Phoenix-Wright-style-investigations’ and a cover that featured a Frank-Gorshin-like bear The cover gave me no indication of what to expect from this title.

Not sure what this box art tells me other than this game potentially has something to do with videos in the 1980’s.

Fast forward 30+ hours later and the game had me captivated like the aforementioned Phoenix Wright games of the past. A incredibly well spun ‘whodunnit’, DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc had you playing as a desperately average teenager who finds himself accepted into the most prestigious high school imaginable only to see the students engaged in a battle for survival against a twisted mastermind who has taken them all prisoner. When I heard that Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair would be arriving just a few scant months later, I preordered my copy immediately from the NIS America site.

Upon downloading the digital version of Danganronpa 2 (which we did for this review) we were treated to another strange creature icon that we would later be referring to as “the Magical Girl Miracle ? Usami” (or “Usami” (??? Usami) for short). First order of business was to put this icon right next to the Monokuma icon on our home screen so they could keep each other company as we dove into our first play experience with Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.

I already have no idea what is going on…which is expected if you are to walk the halls of Hope’s Peak Academy.

The feelings from playing the first game instantly came back and watching the rooms and environments spring to life are always a great deal of fun to behold. Upon seeing the familiar territory, I had expected to find my dorm room, pop on over to the cafeteria and be chillin’ it ol’ school with my Trigger Happy homies, however the game immediately whisks you away from familiar territory into a *gasp* tropical paradise. “What on God’s green is going on here”, I wondered as I began interacting with other students during my Daily Life on the island. Shortly thereafter, with Monokuma’s appearance, I knew everyone here was going to be f*$%^ over, just like old times, and so I settled in on just letting this game wash over me like the tide.

Oh, you adorable, creepy, cuddly, black and white bastard of a snugga-muffin. You know we love you! ;)

Monokuma throws down the gauntlet and, because teenagers are so prone to following orders put down by authority, students begin turning into the thing they hate the most; cold blooded murderers. This first spilling of blood triggers the Class Trial in which players must determine the identity of a culprit in order to stay alive themselves. In Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair there are new gameplay elements added into the mix including additions to the Nonstop Debate (the “Phoenix Wright part” where players look for contradictions in testimony) where “Truth Bullets” segments now include blue-colored weak points which must be shot with evidence that indicates someone is speaking the truth. Hangman’s Gambit and Bullet Time Battle remain with the latter being renamed as “Panic Talk Action” in which players press buttons in time to the music to shoot down arguments. Lastly, during the ‘closing argument’ section of the trial, the comic book finale has been made simpler by making users fill out one page at a time (instead of the full book at once).

I know this is from the first Danganronpa, but I just had to show you the…because I wanted to…WHY DON’T YOU JUST SHUT UP AND GET BACK TO READING?!?

Additional new gameplay elements have been added to the Class Trial including Rebuttal Showdowns, “Truth Swords”, Logical Dives and Spot Selects but there are plenty of new modes outside the main game as well. Players now have access to a virtual pet which can be accessed from the pause menu (which I killed at least 1000 times by accident), that grows as players take steps in the game. Magical Girl Miracle ? Usami is a minigame in which players control Monomi fighting off against waves of cute monsters. There’s “Island Mode” that opens up after you clear the game once which allows the students to NOT kill each other but instead make friends with everyone and earn Hope Shards. IF, that weren’t enough (get ready for the pun) Danganronpa IF(dur) becomes unlocked (upon finishing the game once) which featuring a short story depicting an alternate storyline for Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.

Whaaaaaat?!? If you couldn’t explain what Danganronpa 2 is, please don’t show anyone this image as it will only confuse the issue.

Verdict – 9/10 (++Good): While I haven’t been able to spend as much time as I’d like with the unlocked modes, I will say that in order to get the MOST out of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair you should absolutely invest in playing through Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havok first. It’s not mandatory by any means, but you will be able to get much, much more bang for your buck if you play Goodbye Despair with some of the story under your belt. Now’s the perfect time as Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havok has just dropped under $20 on PSN.

Again, if you haven’t played through the first, you can always get your bearings on Danganronpa 2’s Jabberwock Island and work backwards because, I assure you, if you get your teeth into this game on Vita, you’ll want to get more, more, more of this great franchise in you…any way you can.

With the recent, somewhat tawdry events casting a pallor on the state of ‘games journalism’ this summer, it often seems that we, as a community, have very little choice when it comes to what stories we see. Based on the news about articles getting flagged, ignored or even outright banned on several aggregate networks causes a great degree of concern as as a lover of video games (yes, I said ‘lover’, what of it? Wanna fight about it?).

As a consumer of any and all information surrounding the subject, it’s difficult to see sites that cater to us disappear into the aether (*cough* Andriasang *cough* 4CR *cough*) because they can’t keep up with the ever changing aggregate juggernauts who are taking money out of the pockets of legitimate bloggers, writers and industry insiders. What is a concerned consumer of content expected to do when looking to keep up to date on their favorite content?

Enter The Internet Gaming Archiveby Stephen Wright

The Internet Gaming Archive is a new Kickstarter project which promises delivery of hyper-focused, one-to-one gaming content straight to your mobile device that will provide real benefit for the gaming consumer as well as the content owners and the game developers/publishers to boot.

The last thing I want is to be accused of being biased. I dislike declaring a “winner” of E3, because I feel like, as consumers, WE are the winners, especially when all parties concerned have a strong showing. That said, it’s disingenuous to ignore just HOW strong certain presentations perform over others. Sony, much like last year, absolutely killed it; but as both Microsoft and the Playstation brand parent were focusing squarely on games, the playing field was far more level this time. Sony, still, not only met Microsoft blow-for-blow, but they pulled out ahead to such a degree, I found difficulty in whittling down their event to merely five entries. As a result, I completely avoided cross platform games (no matter how excited I got for No Man’s Sky, Mortal Kombat X, and Arkham Knight). Here we go!

5.) ABZU
Giant Squid is a studio to watch (as its founder previously held the position of Art Director for thatgamecompany’s Journey), and if their first game is any indication, success will be synonymous with the studio’s name. The phrase that smacked my mind to attention when the game was revealed was “underwater Journey,” and I can’t think of a more joyous combination of terms. Details are scarce at the moment, but from what was provided in the trailer, it seems to be a game focusing on exploration, and interacting with the immersed animalia.

4.) Bloodborne
A few days before the press events, a From Software leak exposed the world to Project Beast. Well, it has a new name, and it promises to titillate and tantalize every bit as much as Demon’s Souls did. The entire trailer takes place above ground, in a Victorian city. Whether or not the game takes place entirely above ground is unknown at this time, but I highly doubt we won’t see our fair share of catacombs and sewers if From Software’s recent history has anything to say about it. Very excited for this one.

3.) Entwined
One part Tempest, one part Rez, Entwine didn’t grab me at first, but as more of the game was revealed in the trailer, the less I could contain myself. Often, it’s the simplest mechanics that prove the most engrossing, and I expect no less with this beautiful title. The best part? It’s available as I type this.

2.) The Order
Sony has Victorian Dark Fantasy on lockdown with Bloodborne and The Order. Seamlessly transitioning between cut scenes and gameplay, more so than any other game to date; and while this title is just more shooting dudes with guns, the setting and tone push it far out in front of the FPS pack. CoD? Battlefield? They’re alright. The Order? Sign me up right now!

1.) Little Big Planet 3
I didn’t see this one coming, as obvious as it might have seemed. I’ve been a fan of one Mr. Sackboy ever since his first game, all the way up through Karting, and this announcement got me unreasonably excited. He has new friends, new mechanics, new textures, and all 8+ million levels created by all of us over the course of his entire back catalogue. Oddsock is adorable, and the rest of Sacky’s brand new cadre are delightful.

Nintendo’s event is tomorrow morning at 9am PDT. I won’t be able to cover it, as I’ll be on my way to the convention center to get on the floor ASAP, but you can watch it yourself via Nintendo Direct. I expect big, bold strokes from the House of N, and you should too. This year’s E3 is turning out to be a doozey.

The prE3-show (see what I did there?) has kicked off in style with Microsoft leading the charge. Phil Spencer opened the show with class by including Nintendo and Sony in his opening speech about the oncoming storm that is the E3 show floor, binding us all together as brothers in this wonderful hobby we all share with one another. The focus was decidedly on games, proving that, once again, Microsoft is listening and learning. What follows are the top five moments that wowed us during the Microsoft presentation for E3 2014.

5.) Conker made his first, fresh appearance in 10 years!
It, unfortunately, wasn’t at the helm of a brand new game in his legacy, but instead as an inclusion for the humongous, player creation engine that is Project Spark. But whatever, I’ll take what I can get. Is this an allusion to another Conker game in development? I wouldn’t put any eggs in that basket just yet, but even at face value, this is proof that Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about the foulmouthed fan favorite, and hopefully we’ll see him more and more as the current generation unfolds.

4.) Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX +Alpha
Available right freaking now, as you read this, Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX +Alpha is 2014’s Blood Dragon. The over the top camp, remarkable humor, and… did I see a Power Charged Falcon costume in there?! The fan-service saturates every inch of this DLC package! People who already own this game will be chomping at the bit to grab this content, while others will be chomping at the bit to grab the game, and THEN grab this content.

3.) Crackdown
Crackdown, the open world game that has you playing the part of the police in an effort to clean up the streets, Saint’s Row style, is back, baby! Not much in the way of gameplay is seen in the trailer, but with two previous entrants in the series, it’s hardly necessary. I’m sure there will be visual updates, and new mechanics, but so long as they accompany all of the conventions of its predecessors, we’ll all be happy to get our hands on this next installment.

2.) Scalebound, Kamiya’s (Platinum Games’) new game, is XB1 Exclusive
This, right here, is my system seller. This is why I’ll be picking up an XBOX One. All we have is a trailer, but from what’s been given to us, it looks like a fast, frenetic Monster Hunter type game that allows you to steal aspects of the beasts you hunt simply by making contact. Whatever the case, this is going to be huge, hilarious, and chock full of over the top action.

1.) Ken Lobb prematurely wins E3 with Phantom Dust
The rumors flew fast and furious before the show began, but what was considered to be one of the most unlikely ended up ringing true. The incredible vision of Phantom Dust will be reiterated upon for the current console generation, and those of us who remember the XBOX original couldn’t be more excited. Pardon me while I collect my jaw off the floor.

Sony’s up next, and unlike last year, there is much to surmount this time around, including items not mentioned on this list (Halo 5 among them). Stay tuned to ++GG for updates as they occur!

What happens when you combine the monster massacre that is Hunter: The Reckoning with the bullet-counting, fear-stricken insanity of Day Z, and then stir them together in the cauldron of Left 4 Dead? Well, I presume you’d end up with something like Crytek’s HUNT: Horrors of the Gilded age, an apparently free to play experience coming to consoles and PC.

Says David Adams, CEO of Crytek USA, “…players will be counting their bullets and crying out for help as they delve deeper into the shadowy world we’ve created. From the outset of the development process, we’ve poured our imaginations into the game so that everyone who plays HUNT will discover a challenging experience that feels fresh, captivating and rich in possibilities.”

Crytek USA is comprised of former Vigil Studios personnel, who previously brought us Darksiders. As far as I’m concerned, you can have your Evolve. I’ll be jumping on the HUNT wagon.

Ed Boon, founder of the Warner Bros. owned NetherRealm Studios, took to Twitter yesterday morning to announce the next entry in the Mortal Kombat Franchise - Mortal Kombat X.

We know nothing outside of what’s been presented in the graphic video below, but if I were a betting man, I’d say that situation will have been remedied by the close of E3, next week.

Until then, though, we can certainly speculate! Will the environment be interactive, as show by Sub Zero ripping off a tree branch and freezing it to convert it to a club? Will there be “EX” moves, again demonstrated by Sub Zero with what looks to be a powered up freeze blast? Who knows! But whatever the case, it’s looking to be as suitably brutal and unnecessarily gory as ever. We’ll have full details upon their release, stay tuned!

Today, via Twitter, Nintendo announced that they’ll be manufacturing an adapter for the Wii U that’ll allow us to (blessedly!) play the new installment in the Smash Bros. franchise with our Gamecube controllers!

This is something that’s been on the minds of Nintendo enthusiasts ever since the Wii U hit store shelves nearly two years ago, and all it took was Smash Bros. to get it done.

Earlier today, IGN confirmed that the most recent addition to the Guilty Gear franchise will be making its way across to Pacific as early as this Fall. That’s a mere three months, people!

Guilty Gear has the distinct honor of having been the first “anime” fighting game to hit the North American tournament scene, which paved the way for not only professional competition in games such as P4 Arena, BlazBlue, and others, but also proved financial viability, contributing to their creation, in the first place.

The game will be playable at E3 (in one week), and while we don’t have any information on the release dates in other regions, we do know that the game will be appearing exclusively on PS3, and PS4.